Where to watch Who’s the Man?
3 Stars
Ed Lover and Doctor Dre are two inept barbers. Deciding that maybe they ought to find another line of work, they join the police. A big mistake, as far as their duty sergeant, Sgt Cooper is concerned, who proceeds to harass them at every turn. Despite this, they discover a major crime, and proceed to solve them in their own unusual fashion.
I grew up watching ‘Yo! MTV Raps with Ed Lover and Doctor Dre, the visually opposite hosts of Hip Hop’s home for music videos. Although I liked them as TV personalities, I doubted their ‘schtick’ would translate into an intriguing big-screen comedic duo. I skipped ‘Who’s the Man?’ when it was released, remembering it mostly for its popular soundtrack. Watching the movie now, I started to laugh, and by the midpoint, I paused to pull up Siskel & Ebert’s review on YouTube. The critics gave it an enthusiastic thumbs-up, and I was relieved that my critical instincts were on track.
Ted Demme shows an eye for location, attitude, and casting. The director surrounds the leads primarily with comedians and musical personalities. The surprise in ‘Who’s the Man?’ is that Ed Lover and Doctor Dre hold our attention throughout. In an era when Hip-Hop was moving into the mainstream, ‘Who’s the Man?’ is a nostalgic and amusing piece that pairs well with ‘Above the Rim.’
Directed by: Ted Demme
Written by: Doctor Dré, Ed Lover, Seth Greenland
Starring: Ed Lover, Doctor Dré, Badja Djola